BULLS REPORT CARD

Terry Armour, Tribune Staff WriterCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Some of the games have been easy, with the Bulls playing like they're toying with their opponents. Others have been harder, with the Bulls turning things on at the right time and then pulling away for the victory.

Only a handful of games have been downright tough, but the Bulls have managed to win those, too.

Through it all, the Bulls finished the first half of the season with a 38-3 record--a mark they never approached during their three championship seasons. They kicked off the second half Tuesday with another victory to go 39-3, equaling the best start in NBA history.

While the players wouldn't be faulted if they got caught up in all the hype about their great start, they've basically maintained their cool.

"I don't think we get tested nearly enough," Michael Jordan said last week. "But as the playoffs get near and as teams get ready for the playoffs, there will be times when it will happen. Right now, we are stacking up the wins, evaluating ourselves and seeing what we can improve."

There's not that much fine-tuning needed. Jordan is having an MVP-type season, as is Scottie Pippen. Jerry Krause's gamble of trading for Dennis Rodman has paid off. And, after a year, Ron Harper has finally adjusted and fit into the system.

Everything isn't perfect, though. Luc Longley has been inconsistent. Toni Kukoc and the rest of the bench have also struggled at times, with coach Phil Jackson still unable to come up with a set rotation for his reserves. But despite all that, the Bulls are well on their way to winning an NBA-record 70 games--or more.

"We don't know how special this year is going to be until the end of the season," Jordan said. "We're just going to have to keep motoring in that direction. And, hopefully, it turns out to be a special year and we end up with a championship."

THE TEAM: A

They're on pace to become one of the best--if not the best--teams in NBA history and they really haven't played a strong 48 minutes yet. It will be interesting to see how they finish up the schedule as teams adjust and as the Bulls begin to play better.

THE STARTERS

MICHAEL JORDAN, GUARD: A

What can we say? Despite going 7-for-26 in Houston Tuesday, Jordan is in his first serious shooting groove since returning to the Bulls last March. Jordan is leading the league in scoring with a 31.1-point average. More important, he also has shown he can still take over a game when needed, which he did in stunning fashion in Vancouver on Nov. 30, scoring 19 points in the final six minutes to help the Bulls avoid an embarrassing upset.

SCOTTIE PIPPEN, FORWARD/GUARD: A

With Jordan and Dennis Rodman deflecting a lot of the media attention, Pippen is more relaxed off the court and having a lot more fun on the court. His all-around play has made him the glue that keeps the team together. When Rodman missed 12 games with a calf injury, Pippen concentrated on rebounding and ended up with two triple-doubles. When Jordan has struggled, Pippen has spelled him on offense. It's no coincidence that the Bulls' three losses were three of Pippen's poorest games.

DENNIS RODMAN, FORWARD: A-MINUS

Could easily have an "A" if he hadn't missed those 12 games, and his durability will be tested in the second half. Still, despite the injury, Rodman is now leading the league in rebounding with 14 per game. Rodman also has done all the dirty work for the Bulls while remaining in check--he's only been ejected from one game--and the Bulls have lost just once with him in the lineup. Most of all, he apppears to be having a good time playing in Chicago and--How's this for irony?--he has arguably become even more of a crowd favorite than Jordan.

RON HARPER, GUARD: B-MINUS

Coming off his worst season as a pro, Harper has made Jackson's decision to put him in the starting lineup a smart one. Harper is supposed to be there for defensive purposes; he has 14 blocked shots and is third on the team in steals behind Jordan and Pippen. But recently, Harper has become more aggressive on offense, especially early in games.

LUC LONGLEY, CENTER: C-MINUS

Longley is still trying to figure out his role on the team, and the Bulls are trying to figure him out, too. He plays well against the league's better centers--most recently outplaying Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning--but Longley also has been outplayed by the likes of Bryant "Big Country" Reeves and Zan Tabak. Longley still doesn't get respect from officials and always seems to get whistled for ticky-tack fouls.

THE BENCH

TONI KUKOC, FORWARD: C-MINUS

Kukoc continues to adjust to his role as the team's sixth man and, like Longley, has been inconsistent in the process. He's third on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 22.7 minutes off the bench. But the problem has been a lack of aggressiveness, with Kukoc still trying to decide when to pass and when to shoot. When he's looking to score, the entire bench plays better.

STEVE KERR, GUARD: B-MINUS

After another one of his slow starts, Kerr has finally found his shooting touch from three-point range and is among the league leaders in shooting percentage from the arc, connecting on 50 percent of his three-pointers. Kerr still continues to struggle on defense, but he's not counted on to really stop anybody. When he's hitting the three, defenses are reluctant to double-team either Jordan or Pippen.

BILL WENNINGTON, CENTER: C

Not necessarily known for his defense, Wennington has been forced into the role of defender at times when Longley has been in foul trouble. He hasn't handled that role well but, besides Kerr, Wennington is the only reserve who comes off the bench looking to score.

DICKEY SIMPKINS, FORWARD: C-MINUS

The biggest indication of how Simpkins' season has gone is that Jason Caffey appears to have passed him in Jackson's rotation. Simpkins, who started 12 games at power forward when Rodman was injured, is averaging just 14.5 minutes per game. He's had trouble getting into any kind of flow when he enters the lineup.

JASON CAFFEY, FORWARD: C

Jackson likes Caffey's energy and physical nature, which is why he has used Caffey in the post against smaller lineups. He has shown flashes of what he could become, like when he dunked over Miami's Alonzo Mourning last week. Jackson wants to get Caffey more playing time before the playoffs.

RANDY BROWN, GUARD: C-MINUS

The Bulls signed the native Chicagoan to shore up their defense off the bench. But Brown hasn't played enough for an honest evaluation. He's averaging just nine minutes a game.

JUD BUECHLER, FORWARD: C

He began the season as one of the league leaders in field goal percentage but Buechler hasn't played much in the last month. He has managed to score in double figures in five games despite averaging just 9.5 minutes. He is also one of the team's more dependable three-point threats, shooting 41 percent from behind the arc.

JAMES EDWARDS, CENTER: INCOMPLETE

The 40-year-old Edwards is supposed to be the third head of the team's "Three-Headed Monster" at center. But Edwards has played in just eight games and is on the injured list with a bad back.

THE COACH

PHIL JACKSON: A

When the season began, all the Bulls players said the only coach who could get a team with such distinct characters to play together was Jackson, who is the franchise's all-time winningest coach. He's proved it, especially the way he's handled Rodman's addition to the lineup. During this record-breaking season, Jackson has kept the team focused and winning, even when it hasn't played its best basketball.